The Fountain Pen
by PaperInkFlowers
Summary: There are small opportunities to let Renard know they aren't under his Royal control. This is one of those times.


_~Grimm~_

Working on his desktop, Hank was listening with one ear to the pleasant scratchings of the metal nib against paper Nick was making when he caught sight of the Captain walking towards his office with manila folders in one hand.

Hank couldn't help but smile to himself.

Sure enough, Renard was opening his desk's right drawer and then searching the top of his workspace- before turning around to the table behind him with perplexity. Nick, who worked with his back to Renard's office (and boy did that fact no longer sat well with either of them- but that's why his partner has him) was missing the scene.

The Captain stepped out of his office and looked around searching for someone.

Apparently he was searching for Wu. Spotting the sergeant's back disappearing into the hallway, Renard strode after him.

"Wow, you were right. This really does feel great," Nick finally announced his conclusion out loud.

Attention diverted, Hank glanced over to his partner, who was engrossed over the fountain pen he was using to aimlessly write anything he could think of. Nick had already finished writing his reports with it.

"Can't believe you never used one before." Hank commented in amusement. "Weren't there any in the trailer?"

"Found a couple but they didn't work," Nick replied absently, enjoying the sound the nib made and how the pen felt in his hand as it glided smoothly over paper. He never knew how a fountain pen could make writing much cooler. He's already planning on taking the pen to the trailer to write his Grimm journal entries with it.

Even though this was not his fountain pen.

He swiped it off the Captain's desk.

Renard didn't often leave his favorite pen out unattended.

Normally the Captain put it away in his desk when he wasn't using it. At least, that's what Nick assumed. He never saw it in the pen holder that the Captain kept at the far side of his office desk where guests could use a pen or pencil if they needed one. Nick himself had grabbed a pen out of the holder when needed when he was in Renard's office- only to forget to put it back.

Not that anyone would ever think of reaching over to the Captain's side of the table to use that specific pen- the clearly expensive writing pen that required you to fill it with ink and to clean it regularly.

Well. Except maybe Wu. He's pretty sure he's seen Wu blithely pick up this pen once or twice when he was at the Captain's side of the table when they went over evidence. So he wouldn't put it past the sergeant to simply stretch out an arm to snatch up the Captain's favorite pen.

While the Captain was sitting right there.

No one else would be so bold.

But things change. And Nick was definitely going through a phase of exercising some impish pettiness.

Especially when the pen was lying right there. On the table. By itself.

With no Captain in sight.

So on an impulsive whim to try the pen out, Nick left his incident report (he had to fire his gun again) on Renard's desk and plucked it up as he was leaving. He's never used a fountain pen before, having written them off as a niche novelty writing instrument that was messy and inconveniently needed maintenance.

A large presence suddenly loomed at his side and he looked up.

Captain Renard was glaring down at him with baleful annoyance, sparing a split second to glower at Hank who was quietly snickering.

Nick gave his eyebrow a slight quirk, completely unrepentant and capped the pen, setting it in the Captain's outstretched hand. "Cool pen."

Hank finally chortled out loud.

~^~v~^~v~

Renard briskly walked past Wu's desk when his sergeant's tablet caught his eye. It was the latest model that he had signed off as office acquisitions and he hadn't fiddled with it yet himself. Still annoyed at Nick and knowing that Wu was out making rounds, he swiped it.

It wasn't like his sergeant was using it right now.

***Fin***

A/N: Written because the idea of Renard cleaning out a fountain pen in the precinct's washroom or coffee room was hilarious. But in all seriousness- but not really- he probably switches pens and takes it home to clean. (Okay, no seriously, he likely uses ink cartridges… pen still needs cleaning though.) And it seems Renard has lost some of his pen/pencils in that pen holder of his. I remember it being full back in season one.

Also noodling with words. I'm still working on _The Corpse Apple_ but alas, real life. Story also has taken a life of its own and I had to drop most of the prompts that I wanted to incorporate. Which I'm finding unfortunate because it's not making my fic any easier or shorter to write.


End file.
